Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management has updated its Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) that assesses the risks and vulnerabilities of local hazards on residents and community assets. By doing so, the County and its participating jurisdictions commit to reducing the effects of disasters through long-term actions that reduce impacts on people and property. Valley Water holds it Hazard Mitigation Plan as an annex within the County’s MJHMP.

Valley Water’s updated Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is valid for a period of 5 years (February 8,  2024 – February 7, 2029).

Valley Water will update its HMP periodically as guided by the Santa Clara County’s MJHMP OEM staff.

• Download the 2022 LHMP Annual Report
• Download the 2021 LHMP Annual Report
• Download the 2020 LHMP Annual Report

To learn more about what YOU can do to better prepare your family and home for disasters, please visit www.ready.gov.

For any questions, feel free to contact the Office of Emergency Services Hotline: 1-408-630-3111

Hazard Mitigation planning is the process through which hazards that threaten communities are: identified; likely impacts of those hazards are determined; mitigation goals are set; and appropriate strategies, to lessen impacts, are determined, prioritized, and implemented.

Environmental & Community Benefit

Disasters can cause loss of life; damage buildings and infrastructure; and have devastating consequences for a community’s economic, social, and environmental well-being. Proactive mitigation policies and actions help to:

• Protect public safety and prevent loss of life and injury
• Reduce harm to existing and future development
• Prevent damage to a community’s unique economic, cultural, and environmental assets
• Minimize operational downtime and accelerate recovery of government and business after disasters
• Accomplish other community objectives, such as leveraging capital improvements, protecting infrastructure, preserving open space and promoting economic resiliency.

A FEMA-approved HMP ensures the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s continued eligibility for funding under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs, including the: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program (BRIC); Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program; and Flood Mitigation Assistance Program.

History & Background

The purpose of the Stafford Act, as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, is “to reduce the loss of life and property, human suffering, economic disruption, and disaster assistance costs resulting from natural disasters.” Section 322 of the Act specifically addresses mitigation planning and requires state and local governments to prepare multi-hazard mitigation plans as a precondition for receiving FEMA mitigation project grants.

To qualify for FEMA approval and eligibility to apply for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs, the Santa Clara Valley Water District must review and revise its existing Hazard Mitigation Plan and work with the Santa Clara County to annex its plan to the County’s Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan. This effort is to: meet the requirements of Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §201.6; reflect changes in development progress in local mitigation efforts; changes in priorities; and to resubmit it for FEMA approval no less than every 5 years.

For more information

For questions, feel free to contact the Office of Emergency Services Hotline: 1-408-630-3111